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Ephemeris: 01/23/2026 – The new space race

January 23, 2026 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Friday, January 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 5:39, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:09. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 11:17 this evening.

In the 1960s The United States and the Soviet Union engaged into what was called the space race. A race that was essentially to be the first nation to set foot on the Moon. It was a race the United States won when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20th 1969. We are now engaged in another space race, this time with China. It looks like Russia is sitting this one out, or are helping the Chinese, though it looks like the Chinese are out innovating them with their own reusable rockets. The stakes are higher this time. There is a place on the Moon in which everyone is interested. That being the Moon’s South Pole which has water in the form of ice in permanently shadowed craters, which would be worth its weight in gold.

The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EST, UT – 5 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 1/10th scale model of the China's Long March 10 rocket, purported to be their Moon Rocket.
A 1/10th scale model of the China’s Long March 10 rocket, purported to be their Moon Rocket. It is supposed to be ready for a human landing attempt on the Moon by 2030. Credit: Shujianyan.

Categories: Chinese, Ephemeris Program, Space Race Tags: , ,

Ephemeris: 06/18/2024 – Are we in a space race with China?

June 18, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, June 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 3:41 tomorrow morning.

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s The United States and Russia were in a space race, attempting to outdo each other in space. The Russians had the lead to begin with. Their rockets were bigger because they were unable to miniaturize their atomic weapons. So they needed rockets large enough to launch them, and had rockets large enough, off the shelf so to speak, to be able to launch satellites and even humans into orbit. Sixty years later the old Soviet Union has disappeared and Russia is still using rocket technology that was developed in the 1960s. The Chinese however, were nowhere in the 1960s, and have now ascended to be our number one competitor in space. Considering their latest progress, China may beat us back to the Moon.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Chinese Chang'e 6 the sample collection spacecraft
The Chinese Chang’e 6 the sample collection spacecraft with the sample collection arm, taken by a minirover that was ejected out of the spacecraft is it landed in the Apollo crater on the far side of the Moon . © CNSA (China National Space Administration).
Categories: China, Ephemeris Program, Space Race, The Moon Tags: ,